"This is the game that started the whole Mario craze..."

Everybody knows about this game. This is the game where Mario (the worlds most famous Italian plumber) made his debut. This was also the debut of Donkey Kong, who has become pretty popular himself.

The gameplay is very simple. Mario has to make it to the top of each level alive and rescue princess Pauline who has been captured by that angry ape Donkey Kong. This starts out easy, but it soon gets very difficult. The first level is famous, the one where Mario has to jump over barrels thrown by Donkey Kong, and climb ladders to rescue Pauline. He has to rescue Pauline in three more stages (how many times does she get captured?) and after the fourth stage, Donkey Kong is finally stopped. After the fourth level, the game starts repeating, only this time the levels are much harder.

The graphics are pretty good, especially for a 2600 game. You can actually tell that Donkey Kong is a gorilla, and not a donkey! Pauline looks like a girl, but not a princess, and Mario looks like the plumber he always was. The sound isn't too fantastic, but that's forgivable. The play control isn't fantastic, and that can be frustrating, especially if you are trying to jump over a barrel.

Mario uses items even in his 2600 debut! He can grab a hammer and smash any barrel or fireball that gets in his way for a short time. Mario can also grab Pauline's purse or umbrella for some extra points!

The point is this: this is the game that started the whole Mario craze. Next time you're playing Super Smash Bros. or eagerly awaiting Donkey Kong Country 64, remember this is the game that started it all, and maybe you'll want to try it again...for the first time.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 08/07/01